Super light and fluffy Ricotta Pancakes with lemon are sure to become a new family favorite breakfast! These puff up beautifully and have wonderful flavor with the zest of an entire lemon.

Ricotta Pancakes stacked on plate with fruit and drizzled with maple syrup

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Why We Love these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes:

These breakfast pancakes are satisfying and keep you full because they are high in protein – there’s a surprising amount of ricotta cheese in this recipe and you get to use the entire 15 oz container without wondering what to do with the rest of it.

Most ricotta pancakes that I’ve come across have about half the amount of ricotta which is basically a pancake with a little ricotta mixed in, but not these! Just like our Cottage Cheese Pancakes, the main ingredient here is Ricotta which keeps them super light and they go down easy in a melt-in-your-mouth kind of way.

Ingredients for ricotta pancakes with ricotta cheese, buttermilk, flour, eggs, sugar, lemon, salt, sugar, and baking powder

Watch Ricotta Cheese Pancakes Video:

Watch how to make these EASY Ricotta Pancakes. The pancake batter is quick and easy to make and comes together in one bowl. All you need is a bowl and a whisk. You’ll feel so good about what’s in this recipe.

Process of making pancake batter in bowl

When to Flip Ricotta Cheese Pancakes:

Pancakes are ready to flip when you see bubbles pop and remain open on the surface. This is true for these Ricotta Pancakes and ALL pancakes.

Keep pancakes over medium heat so they don’t brown too quickly before they have a chance to cook through. We set to medium heat on the skillet or 325˚F on the griddle.

Bubbles on pancake indicating it's time to flip

The Best Oil for Cooking Pancakes:

  • Coconut Oil – We love coconut oil because it’s slightly healthier fat and if using unrefined coconut oil it is good for high heat cooking and adds a pleasant coconut sweetness.
  • Cooking Oils – A flavorless high heat cooking oil like light olive oil or canola oil will work.
  • Butter – If using butter that isn’t clarified, wipe the pan clean between every 2 batches to get rid of any browned butter. You can also do a combination of butter and oil which will increase your smoke point so the butter doesn’t burn as quickly.

Cooked lemon ricotta pancakes on a serving platter

Our Favorite Toppings for Ricotta Pancakes:

My personal go-to toppings for pancakes are sour cream, honey, and fresh berries. I find the combination of sweet and tangy irresistible. For company and special mornings, we love to elevate pancakes with these toppings:

  • Raspberry Maple Syrup – a blended combination of real maple syrup with raspberries for the ultimate breakfast syrup
  • Strawberry Sauce – our homemade topping is quick and easy to whip up and can’t be beaten.
  • Cherry Sauce – filled with juicy plump cherries; this tastes like cherry pie filling.
  • Fresh Fruit – we love a variety of berries and stone fruit depending on what is in season.
  • Real Maple Syrup (from Vermont) – REAL maple syrup makes all the difference.
  • Jams and Jellies – our homemade plum jam is a must-try – no pectin needed!
  • Fruit Preserves – we love homemade peach preserves where you can see the texture of the fruit

Fluffy Ricotta Cheese pancakes topped with berries and maple syrup

Brilliant Ways to Reheat Pancakes:

If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers of these pancakes, you can cover and refrigerate them for up to 3 days then reheat when you’re ready for pancakes again.

  • Toaster – put pancakes individually into the slots of a toaster and toast as you would a slice of bread until they are heated through.
  • Air Fryer – put cold pancakes into the air fryer basket and air fry at 350˚F for about 3 minutes or just until heated through.
  • Frying Pan – set the burner to medium heat. Brush skillet with a little butter if desired and flip pancakes until warm.

Pancake slices on a fork

More Pancake Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over:

These Ricotta Pancakes will make a breakfast person out of you! Below are our top-rated pancake recipes (all tested and approved by our family). You can explore all of our breakfast recipes here.

Here’s my sweet girl making these ricotta pancakes. This is one of those easy recipes the whole family can help with.

girl making pancake batter

Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (VIDEO)

4.98 from 87 votes
Ricotta Pancakes stacked on plate with fruit and drizzled with maple syrup
Light and fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are sure to become a new family favorite breakfast! These puff up beautifully and have wonderful lemon zest flavor. This recipe makes 18 (4-inch) pancakes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 people

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well blended.
  • Mix in ricotta cheese, buttermilk and salt and whisk until blended.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder then whisk the flour mixture into the cheese mixture.
  • Stir in the zest of 1 lemon. If you let the batter rest for 10-30 minutes, the pancakes will be even fluffier.
  • Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and melt in your oil. Spoon batter into the pan (about 2 Tbsp per pancake) and sautee 2-3 min per side. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.

Nutrition Per Serving

245kcal Calories28g Carbs12g Protein9g Fat5g Saturated Fat109mg Cholesterol205mg Sodium359mg Potassium1g Fiber6g Sugar361IU Vitamin A1mg Vitamin C244mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (VIDEO)
Amount per Serving
Calories
245
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Cholesterol
 
109
mg
36
%
Sodium
 
205
mg
9
%
Potassium
 
359
mg
10
%
Carbohydrates
 
28
g
9
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
12
g
24
%
Vitamin A
 
361
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
244
mg
24
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: lemon ricotta pancakes, ricotta pancakes
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 245
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

4.98 from 87 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Marge
    July 20, 2020

    The Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are DELICIOUS. What pancake pan or ring do you use to cook pancakes?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 20, 2020

      Hi Marge, I recommend watching the video. We haven’t tried using pancake rings but we used one of our heavy bottom skillets to cook the pancakes on. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Freta
    July 15, 2020

    I just made these ricotta cheese pancakes, I didn’t have buttermilk or kefir at home so instead i used 2% milk with home made ricotta.I have never had such moist and fluffy pancakes before. I served them with fresh fruits.They are so delicious. Thank you so much for the great recipes.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 15, 2020

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me!

      Reply

  • Jane
    June 23, 2020

    I just made these ricotta cheese pancakes for the first time. I didn’t have any buttermilk or kefir on hand, so I just used 2% milk. I have never had such moist and fluffy pancakes before. I served them with fresh berries and a rosette of whipped cream on top of each cake. They were divine. We have enough left over to reheat for breakfast tomorrow.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 23, 2020

      I’m so glad you enjoyed that Jane. Thank you for that great review!

      Reply

      • Michelle
        August 9, 2020

        We make these about twice a month( or more) our families new favorite breakfast!!! This morning we’re going to have them with our freshly homemade pineapple jam! We love your recipes!

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          August 9, 2020

          Yum, looks like this is already one of your favorites! Enjoy.

          Reply

  • Jay
    June 22, 2020

    These were absolutely DIVINE!!! Light & FLUFFY!! I was supposed to only have a bite to do a taste test but ended up eating almost 3 of them!
    I didn’t have any buttermilk so just made some, I only used 1 tbsp sugar and I find icing sugar is best when making pancakes (tip from another food blogger). I also replaced 1/4 cup AP flour with almond flour. I let the batter rest for almost half an hour as you suggested and I think that really helped. It’s so good to know that this is a healthier version of pancakes which means less guilt when you feed this to your family. We had them with maple syrup. Thank you Natasha!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 22, 2020

      So awesome to hear that, Jay. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and for giving the recipe a great review!

      Reply

  • Darya
    June 21, 2020

    These turned out delicious! I used the entire 15 oz container of Polly-O ricotta and didn’t look back. Lemon zest is a great touch, I could actually taste lemon as J was eating the pancakes. Thank you for another great recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 21, 2020

      You are so welcome, Darya. Thanks for your good feedback!

      Reply

  • Diana
    June 18, 2020

    I don’t even know where to start!!! These pancakes are like eating a very very very yummy and soft pillow with a hint of lemon. It’s amazing. Like you said, no left overs. Next time doubling the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 18, 2020

      Sounds like you found a new favorite! Thank you so much sharing that great review!

      Reply

  • Kate
    June 17, 2020

    I really love your recipes I love how simple they are. Today I made these pancakes and I had to close the kitchen door, because they were disappearing faster than I was making them! thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 17, 2020

      You’re welcome Kate! Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Anna
    June 17, 2020

    when is your next give away?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 17, 2020

      Hi Anna, I don’t have any giveaways at the moment. In case you receive those messages and it asks you for your credit card info, know that it’s not from me. We found some scammers who are posing as me especially on Facebook.

      Reply

  • Anna
    June 16, 2020

    OMG! Best pancake ever. I made these for breakfast this morning. Followed the recipe exactly and they were fantastic. I’ll have to take your word that they reheat well since there aren’t any left to test. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 16, 2020

      Yay I am so glad you loved it!

      Reply

    • Leslie
      June 17, 2020

      Delicious! I had to try one as I was making them. The first one I thought they were good but wasn’t sure if could eat many. After I made them all I sat down with 2 more and fell in love. Almost like dessert meets breakfast, a perfect pair! I sent my husband to work with 3. I hope he enjoys them as much as I did. I love all your recipes. You are my go-to for quick, easy and delicious! Thank you!!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        June 17, 2020

        You’re welcome! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this!

        Reply

  • Yolande
    June 16, 2020

    Delicious! This recipe is a keeper. I didn’t have buttermilk so made my own. I have a few pancakes leftover and anxious to see how they reheat (as Natasha on the video says they do).

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 16, 2020

      Thank you for that wonderful feedback Yolande! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!

      Reply

  • Zhiwei
    June 16, 2020

    Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious and a total hit with our family’s weekly Saturday sit down breakfast!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 16, 2020

      I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me!

      Reply

  • Anna
    June 15, 2020

    I made these pancakes for breakfast this morning. My daughter loved them, and my husband took a bunch to work. Before I knew it there was one left. These pancakes are light and fluffy, delicious.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 15, 2020

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Melissa
    June 15, 2020

    This recipe is so delicious! My family went crazy for it!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 15, 2020

      I am so glad your family enjoyed the pancakes! Thank you for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Carol
    June 15, 2020

    Oh my gosh…I normally don’t care for pancakes, but this morning I made these and they are beyond fantastic! I used a 2T ice cream scoop and it was perfect for the batter. I ate four of them! Could have eaten more, but I froze them so I can have for later and will heat them up in my toaster oven. I do think even frozen, the regular toaster would not work. That’s a guess on my part. Thanks for the great recipe; it is now part of my recipe collection as KEEPERS.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 15, 2020

      I absolutely love your comment! I am so glad you enjoyed your pancakes, thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Cindy
    June 13, 2020

    Can they be frozen for future eating?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 13, 2020

      Hi Cindy, we haven’t tried freezing but that should work fine to freeze the cooked pancakes.

      Reply

  • Jessica
    June 13, 2020

    Can you substitute the lemon with anything?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 13, 2020

      Hi Jessica, different citrus zest like oranges or clementines would also work here. You could also leave it out if you didn’t like or didn’t have citrus on hand and it would still work.

      Reply

  • Margaret Chavez
    June 13, 2020

    Can the all-purpose flour be substituted with buckwheat flour or a combination of both. If so, how much of each?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 13, 2020

      Hi Margaret, I haven’t tested it that way but I think it should work since flour isn’t the main ingredient. You’ll probably get fluffier results combining the two types of flour (half of each). Please let me know how it goes and I hope you love the pancakes.

      Reply

  • Agus
    June 12, 2020

    WOWWW!! Tried it this morning and completely loved it! Quick, easy and super filling 🙂 thanks Natasha!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      June 13, 2020

      Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I’m so glad you loved the lemon ricotta pancakes.

      Reply

  • Erin
    June 12, 2020

    What a delicious way to up our pancake game! These have such good flavor!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 12, 2020

      Isn’t the flavor amazing! Thank you for sharing that great review!

      Reply

      • Ntokozo Mwale
        July 14, 2020

        When I tried it they tasted so amazing

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          July 14, 2020

          I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

          Reply

  • katerina @ diethood.com
    June 12, 2020

    WOW!! Such a fabulous way to start the day! These pancakes are amazing!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 12, 2020

      They are so good! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!

      Reply

      • Ntokozo Mwale
        July 14, 2020

        U should start working at a restaurant because ur foods are so nice

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          July 14, 2020

          Thank you for that wonderful compliment! You’re so nice!

          Reply

    • Naomi
      February 26, 2022

      WOW! Fantastic! Light, fluffy, delicious pillows of goodness. I used 2 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp baking soda because of the buttermilk, but otherwise followed directions. We loved them. Will make again and have already shared the recipe with my cooking friends. Thank you very much for your recipe!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        February 26, 2022

        So good! I’m glad you loved it also, Naomi!

        Reply

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